33 million Americans are affected by Over active bladder (OAB), a condition whose main symptom is the uncomfortable need to urinate. It is often confused with incontinence, which is the inability to control the flow of urine. Over active bladder affects 17% of the population, and contrary to belief, does not target more women than men.
OAB is not something to be taken lightly. It has been shown to be as pychologically damaging as depression, as shown in a study put together by Kobelt-Nguyen (et. al.). Defined, OAB is a urological condition defined by a set of symptoms: “urgency, with or without urge incontinence, usually with frequency and nocturia.” Sufferers of over active bladder are not only distressed by the physical problems, but the stress and emotional problems that come with planning for sudden urination events.
The most common and typical symptoms of Over Active Bladder are: *frequent urination (which is defines as more than 8 times per day) *urgent urination (the sudden need or pressing desire to urinate) *urge incontinence (inability to control urine flow after a sudden urge) *night urination (waking up more than 2 times per night to urinate) These symptoms often overlap with those shared by incontinence patients, and in fact urge incontinence and mixed incontinence are hybrids of OAB.
There are several bladder treatment options, normally prescribed by a doctor or therapist. These include: * medications (aka ) * pelvic floor therapy (also known as bladder control therapy) * invasive surgical options and procedures . . .of which normally one is prescribed.
Typically, patients test one of these methods at a time, which we call monotherapy. While this method takes longer and is more frustrating, patients are often glad to know which method worked best. A more multi-therapy approach, however, is both faster and more reliable. A multi-therapy approach typically starts with the non-invasive pelvic floor therapies, nutrition and natural home remedies before moving on to more invasive procedures.
Learn more about Over Active Bladder. Stop by Angela Sapiana’s site where you can find out all about bladder control training and what it can do for you.